Many attempts have been made to design novel signage and presentation systems that entertain, as well as inform and instruct, viewers. Content providers and advertisers continuously seek engaging mediums to differentiate their message amid the plethora of visual and audible commotion. Prior art in the field of advertisings displays is extensive, however most advertising mediums can be categorized into 4 groups including traditional non-digital signage, electronic signage, projection signage and interactive signage.
Traditional non-digital displays typically consist of one or more stiff flat or curved substrates made with materials such as paper, cardboard, wood, plastic, vinyl, fabric, metal and Plexiglas. These substrates are imprinted with desired visual content commonly including coloured text and graphics. Many of these systems are back-lit typically by mounting a translucent substrate carrying the visual content on a light box lit with florescent or LED lights contained within. A more economical approach is to light from the front for night and low ambient light viewing.
Many efforts have been made to overcome the static nature of non-digital displays. Sometimes a 3D effect is achieved by fixing carved, moulded, or neon tube letters and shapes on top of the substrate or by etching, moulding or carving such information into the substrate surface. Extreme 3D effects, whereby the designer superimposes a large 3D object on top of the substrate, is used to attract viewers. The use of motors to move or shake such physical object in a repetitive fashion is also known. These 3D effects can also be augmented during night viewing by careful application of various lighting techniques to create an illusion of motion.
Changing non-digital installations with new content is a labour and material intensive process. Content is typically fixed for a period of time spanning months or possibly years. However, in cases such as flip-charts and various shutter billboard systems, additional content is available by flipping to the next page of a chart or, in the case of shutter billboard systems, by striping content across adjoining vertical or horizontal blinds (which are double or triple sided) such that when the blinds are synchronized during rotation, the complete content for any one given sign appears to be seamlessly displayed. In some cases, the content from one side relates to the other side's content, so a simple story may be told. Lenticular screens are also installed to achieve a similar effect, enable the viewer to see different sets of vertically striped images from varying reading angles—sometimes even presenting each eye with slightly different viewpoints, forming three-dimensional views of the static scene.
Electronic signage and presentation systems replace traditional substrates with one or more planar digital electronic display panels (plasma, LCD, OLED, LED, etc.) and associated circuitry capable of forming a quality rendering of the content received in digital or analog form. Typically displaying pre-recorded content streams blending motion video with sequences of still images with additional text or other graphic content optionally rendered in real-time (eg: time and temperature superimposed on electronic billboards), some such systems also deliver corresponding audio information via an array of one or more speakers. Although less common, electronic displays may also be made of flexible substrates, including fabrics with embedded LEDs, which are used to cover non-planar surfaces. To expand the field of view, which is a significant limitation, particularly for LCD technology, electronic displays are often mounted back-to-back or at 30, 45 or 90 degree angles around pillars.
Installation and maintenance costs are much higher than traditional non-digital displays, particularly for larger-format applications. However, the ease to re-skin digital signage instantly with new content streams coupled with the medium's ability to play catchy motion video and animations, even outdoors in full sunlight, has made them increasingly popular choices for both advertisers and sports venues alike. But this popularity, coupled with broad consumer adoption of larger flat panel televisions within their homes, is now diminishing the ability of all but the largest of these electronic display systems to standout, wow or entertains viewers.
Projection signage and presentation systems use either analog video or digital projectors to beam rendered content onto reflective screens which although commonly flat, may also be convex or concave. Typically larger than their digital display cousins, projection systems suffer the same challenges in attracting waning consumer attention. Attempts to grab more attention include the use of some such systems to project onto the outside or inside of transparent globes or other objects including waterfalls and mist walls. Multiple projectors are also used where larger screens or 360 degree display is deployed. Projection systems are typically deployed in indoor areas, since ambient light reflected from such screens greatly lowers impact and readability of the content.
Interactive signage and presentation systems, the newest medium available to creative designers, augment the digital stream flowing to the display by dynamically altering content based on either direct input from the viewer, or passive means. Direct input is typically captured via an attached keyboard or touch screen apparatus, but may also include control of the content via a cell-phone touch screen or keypad, or via laser or optical pointer devices. Indirect methods, including motion sensor and RFID tag readers, also provide the ability for attached processing circuitry to dynamically modify the content based on viewer proximity or known viewer profiles.
A prior art system involving moving display screens is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,969. This system includes display screens movable in a linear manner.
Beyond media limitations, creative visual designers working with content providers and advertisers to vie for consumer attention are also restricted by the fact that in each of the above mediums, common digital media paradigms (eg: bitmap, vector, and video) and tools (eg: Adobe Illustrator, PhotoShop and Flash) are used to design and produce the content. Although this commonality facilitates training and communication of both ideas and completed works, the inherent lack of differentiation, at the media and tool levels, exacerbates the challenge for the creative designer attempting to deliver a message which dearly stands out from the competition.
The push to differentiate while staying within the confines of existing digital media paradigms has recently reached absurd proportions. Initially, projects such as a continuous ring of digital signage running around a stadium at balcony level seemed like a great way to capture audience attention for special advertising and entertainment during halted play—but now, for example, some soccer stadiums operate brightly lit digital displays at field level, distracting players and at the same time making it virtually impossible for play-by-play cameras to correctly adjust exposure for best televised quality of the focal sporting event itself.
The multitude of signage and presentation systems bound by current display techniques competing for consumer attention has made it increasingly difficult for advertisers to stand out. Many venues seeking corporate sponsorships are pushing the envelope on existing approaches with brighter, sharper and larger displays appearing to be the only differentiating factors, each with diminishing gains as the techniques mature. Accordingly, there remains a need for a new medium coupled with new tools through which content providers and advertisers can standout, yet clearly deliver their message while entertaining their viewers.